Composer AR Rahman unveiled his tribute song ‘Asha Forever’ in Mumbai on September 8, marking what would have been legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle’s 93rd birthday.
The tribute was launched at the city’s Sahyadri Guest House in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state minister Ashish Shelar and Bhosle’s granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle. Speaking at the event, Rahman thanked the chief minister for making time to be part of the occasion, describing Bhosle as a source of national and Maharashtrian pride whose voice and music helped carry Indian music to the world.
‘Asha Forever’ holds particular weight because it was recorded by Rahman together with Bhosle herself while she was still alive, well before the tribute’s eventual release. Written by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, the track brings her vocals together with musicians and students from London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where Rahman holds an honorary position, and was filmed across both London and Mumbai. The song has been released through Rahman’s own label, Rooh Records, in India, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Music India.
Sharing the news on social media, Rahman wrote that the song was about celebrating Bhosle today, tomorrow and always, describing her voice, spirit and magic as things to be remembered rather than mourned. According to reports, the tribute began as a much larger celebration Rahman had originally planned to hold during Bhosle’s lifetime, and elements of that original vision were later reconstructed using AI to complete the project.
Bhosle passed away in Mumbai on April 12 this year at the age of 92. Her career, which began in 1943, ran for more than eight decades and produced over 12,000 recordings across genres including film music, ghazals, folk, qawwali and classical styles. She was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000, the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2021. Her birth anniversary this year also saw tributes pour in from across the music industry, including from singer Kumar Sanu, who reflected on their years of collaboration through the 1990s.
